Shoe Cleaning Apparatus

ABSTRACT

The present invention uses rotating cleaning rollers with cleaning fabric carrying cleaning liquid to clean shoe soles. The cleaning fabric, after wiping the shoe soles, is squeezed by a scraper so the used cleaning liquid is separated from the cleaning fabric to be filtered before reusing. The cleaning fabric can be made of different materials to fit the various types of building entrances. After the shoe soles are cleaned by the wet rollers, they may be dried by the drying rollers next to the cleaning rollers.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a novel shoe-sole-cleaning device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Homes and offices constantly face the problems caused by dirty shoes. The problem is more pronounced in wet weather, when mud, dirt, sand, and other impurities are carried by the dirty shoes into the interior of the buildings, creating cleaning-up work. In heavily trodden places such as a busy office, such impurities may amount to a significant amount of cleaning-up work.

Many prior arts use dry brushes to clean the shoe soles (Pat. Nos. 1,277,834, 2,718,020, 3,048,867). However, when the shoe soles are wet, the effect of a quick dry brush is limited.

Other prior arts (Pat. Nos. 295883, 5,950,269) adopt wet brushes. However, without the roller-cleaning mechanism and without rollers rotating in opposite directions, the efficiency of the device is limited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the present invention, multiple rollers, rotating in opposite directions and carrying cleaning liquid, clean the shoe soles. The purpose for rollers rotating in opposite directions is to enhance the efficiency of the device. The cleaning fabric, after rubbing the shoe soles, is squeezed by a scraper on its way down. The scraper assembly directs the separated dirty cleaning liquid to the dirty liquid chamber. The dirty cleaning liquid returns to the clean liquid chamber by passing through a filter. The partitioning wall between the dirty liquid chamber and the clean liquid chamber is of such height that when the filter is clogged, the dirty cleaning liquid would overflow from the dirty liquid chamber into the clean liquid chamber to keep the unit running. The cleaning liquid level is shown on the side of the unit.

Next to the cleaning rollers, a set of drying rollers are installed so the user may dry the shoe soles.

The present invention, by assuring that the roller fabric is soaked in fresh cleaning liquid, and by rubbing the shoe soles with rollers rotating in opposite directions, is more efficient than the prior arts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is the perspective view of a preferred embodiment.

FIG. 2 is the sectional view of a preferred embodiment.

FIG. 3 is the perspective view of the scraper assembly with rollers, petitioning wall, and apparatus wall present.

FIG. 4 is the perspective view of the support plate of the scraper assembly.

FIG. 5 is the perspective view of the adjustable scraper of the scraper assembly.

FIG. 6 is the sectional view of the preferred embodiment showing the driving shaft.

FIG. 7 is the sectional view of the preferred embodiment showing the driving gears.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. User can tap the switch 1 to turn on the unit, put the shoes against the cleaning rollers 2. The fabric on the cleaning rollers 2 can be made of different materials to fit the various types of building entrances. After the shoe soles are cleaned by the cleaning rollers 2, the shoe soles can be placed on the drying rollers 3 to be dried. Then, the user can tap the switch 1 again to turn off the unit. If the user does not switch off the unit, the unit can be switched off by a timer. A liquid level indicator 4 on the side of the unit shows the level of the cleaning liquid.

Details of operation are shown in FIG. 2. Two rollers 5 driven by two mating gears (6 and 7 in FIG. 7) wipe the shoe soles. The rollers rotate up from the point that two rollers meet 8 and down on the other side 9 where a scraper 10 squeezes the roller and directs the dirty cleaning liquid to flow to the dirty liquid chamber 11 over the top of the scraper assembly 12. The pressure of the scraper on the roller can be adjusted by the scraper adjustment screw 13. The partitioning wall 14 that connects the dirty liquid chamber 11 and the clean liquid chamber 15 comprises a filter so that impurities from the shoe soles would not enter the clean liquid chamber 15.

FIG. 3 shows the scraper assembly with rollers, petitioning wall, and apparatus wall present. The scraper adjustment screw 16 adjusts the pressure that the scraper 17 exerts on the roller 18.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show the two parts of the scraper assembly, where FIG. 4 shows the support plate 19 which is attached to the wall, and FIG. 5 shows the adjustable scraper 20. The position of the adjustable scraper 20 can be adjusted by turning the scraper adjustment screw 21. When installed, there is a gap between the support plate 19 and the top of the partitioning wall 14 (FIG. 2), so when the filter 14 is clogged, cleaning liquid can overflow from the dirty liquid chamber 11 (FIG. 2) into the clean liquid chamber 15 (FIG. 2) to keep the unit running.

FIG. 6 shows the driving system, where motor 22 drives the first gear 6 (FIG. 7) and the second gear 7 (FIG. 7). The two gears drive the shafts 23 that rotate both the cleaning rollers 24 and the drying rollers 25. The unit may be turned on and off by the switch 26 installed on the top of the driving chamber 27. Alternatively, the unit may be turned off by a timer 28.

FIG. 7 illustrates the mechanism how rollers are driven in different directions. The motor 22 drives the first gear 6 that turns the shaft 23 (FIG. 6) that is connected to a set of cleaning roller 24 (FIG. 6) and drying roller 25 (FIG. 6). At the same time, the first gear 6 drives the second gear 7 that turns another shaft that is connected to a set of cleaning roller and drying roller. Because the first gear 6 and the second gear 7 are mated directly, the two shafts rotate in different directions. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles comprising: a set of cleaning rollers rotating in opposite directions comprising cleaning fabric that is soaked in a cleaning liquid, contained in a clean liquid chamber. a scraper assembly that comprises a scraper which squeezes the cleaning fabric on the cleaning rollers on its way down after rubbing the shoe sole and that directs the dirty cleaning liquid into a dirty liquid chamber, and a partitioning wall separating the dirty liquid chamber and the clean liquid chamber over which the cleaning rollers are installed.
 2. An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a set of gears driving the cleaning rollers that are mated in such a way that the cleaning rollers rotate in opposite directions.
 3. An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in claim 2, wherein the gears are directly mated so cleaning rollers rotate in opposite directions.
 4. An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a set of drying rollers that dry the shoe soles.
 5. An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in claim 4, wherein the drying rollers are installed on the same shafts that drive the cleaning rollers.
 6. An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a sensor that senses the presence of the shoe to turn on the apparatus and the absence of the shoe to turn off the apparatus.
 7. An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a switch installed on the top of the apparatus for user to switch on and off the apparatus.
 8. An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in claim 7, further comprising: a timer that turns off the apparatus after the apparatus is turned on for certain period of time.
 9. An apparatus for cleaning shoe soles as recited in claim 1, wherein the scraper assembly further comprises a scraper adjustment screw which adjusts the pressure that the scraper exerts on the roller. 